Ball-joint for discharge-pipes of hydraulic dredges.



A. W. ROBINSON.

BALL JOINT FOR DISCHARGE PIPES or HYDRAULIC DREDGES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.29, 1910,

Patented Feb. 18, 1913.

ARTHUR W. ROBINSON, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

BALL-JOINT iron DISCHARGE-mans or HYDRAULIC DREDGES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18,1913.

Application filed September 29, 1910. Serial No. 584,468.

To all whom i may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR W. Romn- SON, of Montreal, in the Province ofQuebec and Dominion of Canada, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Ball Joints for Discharge- Pip'es of Hydraulic Dredges,of whih improvement the following is a specification.

.My present invention relates to ball and socket joints for thedischarge pipes of hydraulic dredges, of the general class or type ofthat which is exemplified in Letters Patent of the United States No.146,994,

granted and issued to me under date of December 15, 1903, and its objectis to simplify and economize the construction of a joint of such type,and to provlde means for the ready connection and disconnection of thejoint members.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a jointembodylngmy 1nvention; Fig. 2,-a longitudinal section, on

,the line m w of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a transverse section, on the line 3 yof Fig. 2; and Fig. 4, a section similar to that of Fig. 2, but showinga minor structural modification.

My invention is herein illustrated as applied in the articulation of twosect1ons, 1 and l, of the discharge pipe of a hydraulic dredge, throuhwhich liquid flows inthe direction oft e arrow in, Fig. 2. A segment ofa sphere, 2, suitably secured, as by rivets, to the section, 1, of thedischarge pipe, constitutes the ball member of the joint, and a segmentof a sphere, 3, of larger diameter and provided with a neck, 3",

the axis thereof, and is slightly greater than the diameter of thebalLmember, upon which ithas what may be termed a .parallel fit, so

"that the ball. member may be readily en'- tered into and withdrawn fromthe socket member, in. connecting and disconnecting the two as des1red.L

The ball and socket members are maintained in normal relation, and theblowing of the ball memberv out of the socket member, by internalpressure, is prevented, by a connecting pin, 4, which is fitted in thesocket member and fits freely in a tapered socket in the ball member,thereby preventlng relative end movement of the joint members, whilepermitting free lateral deflection of the connected discharge pipesections. As shown in Fig. 2, a single connecting pin is located at thetop of the joint, but, if preferred, another pin, 4, may be applied, inline axially therewith, at the bottom of the joint, as shown in Fig. 4.

In practice, when floating sections of discharge pipes of hydraulicdredges are articullated together, the deflection of the pipe sec'-tions is in a horizontal direction only as they float upon the water, asindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The vertical deflection is slightand due only to that caused by wave action. As will be seen from Fig. 2,a moderate' degree of vertical deflection is permitted when theconnecting pin is used only at the top of the joint, the lower portionof the ball being then free to move slightly in and out over theparallel guide face, 3". In joints for this service, absolute watertightness is not required, and therefore it is not necessary to employany special packing or to provide a curved fit of the ball and socketmembers, as is sometimes done. As a matter of fact, the distinguishingand characteristic feature of a ball and-socket joint having theparallel fit herein set forth, consists in its bein self packing, owingto the solid matter sand or mud) in the discharge, lodging or packing inthe tapering space between the spherical surface of the ball and thefiat guide face of; the socket. As before stated,

the ball member is made of such diameter as to enter the socket memberwith a small I amount of clearance, which would permit only acorrespondingly small amount of leakage with water only. As soon,however, as the dredging operation begins, thisleakage is immediatelytaken up and plugged from the inside, by a deposit of solid matter, andthis action takes place for all posisocket member is made greater thanits vertical diameter, at the inner end of the ball member, as shown inthe vertical transverse section, Fig. 3, in order to provide sufiicientclearance, -which clearance is not necessary in'the plane of. theconnecting pin. Further, it willbe seen that a slight, but sufficient,degree of vertical deflection may be afi'orded, so long' as the point oftangency of the ball member Within the parallel fit of the guide face,8', does not fall outside of the latter. 7 In order to properly limitthe degree of movement of the ball member Within the socket member, theformer is provided with opposite lateral lugs, 3, one or the other ofwhich is adapted to bear against the outer end of the socket member atthe limit of relative movement in either direction.

Any suit-able known form of float may be used to carry the sections ofthe discharge pipe When the latter is employed as afloating pipe, or thejoint herein set forth may be applied in connection with discharge pipesections extending on land.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent: I

1. In a ball joint for discharge pipes of hydraulic dredges, thecombination of a ball member having a segmental spherical surface,a'socket member having a cylindrical end bore, surrounding and ofslightly greater diameter than the ball member,

hydraulic dredges, the combination of a ball member having a segmentalspherical surface, a socket member having a cylindrical end bore,surrounding and of slightly greater diameter than the ball member,

whereby a tapered space for the deposit of solid matter is providedbetween the ball and socket members, a connecting pin fitted in thesocket member and fitting freely'in an outwardly tapered socket in theball member, and lateral stop lugs formed on the ball member in positionto abut on the socket member, at the limits of relative movement of themembers.

. ARTHUR W. ROBINSON. WVitnesses':

VALEN TIN E J. R. CHRISTIAN, FRANCIS E. M. Romnson.

